Energy absorber
AssigneeKeyguard Limited
InventorsJulian E. Renton, Peter Nott
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An energy absorber comprises housing means (1), a store (15) of plastically deformable material (8) mounted in the housing means and having an endstop (27), means (3) for attaching the energy absorber to a structure, means (10) for attaching the plastically deformable material (8) to a structure, and means (7, 5, 6) responsive to a predetermined tensile load effective to deploy said plastically deformable material (8) in a controlled manner from its store whereby said material (8) is permanently plastically deformed during said deployment, thereby absorbing energy. The energy absorber is able to support a load at least twice the predetermined tensile load when further deployment of the material (8) is prevented by the endstop (27).
Claims24
An energy absorber comprising housing means, a store of plastically deformable material wound in a coil and having an endstop at one end and mounted in said housing means, means for attaching the energy absorber to a first structure, means for attaching the plastically deformable material to a second structure, and means responsive to a predetermined tensile load between the first and second structures effective to deploy said plastically deformable material in a controlled manner from its store whereby said material is permanently plastically deformed during said deployment, thereby absorbing energy, the energy absorber being able to support a load at least twice the predetermined tensile load when further deployment of said material is prevented by the endstop.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one end of the length of material has provision for attaching the material to an elongate safety element or an anchorage.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the housing means has provision for attachment to an elongate safety element or an anchorage.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the length of material has a cross-sectional configuration selected from the group consisting of rectilinear, round, tubular or a combination of the foregoing.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the configuration of the plastically deformable material varies along its length.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the non-linear path of the material when pulled and as constrained by the housing means is defined by two-dimensional inclinations.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the elements of the housing means constraining the path of movement of the material when pulled relative to the housing means are selected from the group consisting of circular shafts or rollers, or any other shape constraining the path of the material.
An energy absorber according to any preceding claim, wherein the coil of plastically deformable material rotates as the material is deployed and is free to move in a plane perpendicular to an axis of its rotation.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material is stainless steel.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material has a friction reducing surface coating or layer.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the coil is a spiral coil.
An energy absorber as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the energy absorber further comprises a visually distinctive element arranged to be exposed when the material is deployed to provide a visual indication when the material is deployed.
An energy absorber substantially as shown in or as described herein with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2;
- FIGS. 3 and 4;
- FIGS. 5 and 6;
- FIGS. 7, 8 and 9. FIGS. 10 and 11, FIGS. 14 and 15, FIGS. 16 and 17, FIG. 18, FIG. 19, FIG. 20;
- FIG. 21;
- FIGS. 22 to 24;
- FIGS. 25 and 26;
- FIGS. 27 and 28;
- or FIGS. 29 and 30 of the drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.